Systems of Fate
by Mercutio of Verona
Summary: An alternate reality tale explaining my take on Heero's past (unfinished).
1. Genesis in Kushrenada

Systems of Fate Chapter One  
  
Genesis in Kushrenada  
  
  
"After the game, the king and the pawn go into the same box."  
Italian proverb.  
  
  
  
Nimue walked silently down the streets of Oaschaal, the capital city   
of Kushrenada. She was hoping for at least some business tonight, but  
it was as quiet as usual. There just wasn't much need for her job when   
all the men were at war.  
  
This battle had been going on for way too long. Kushrenada and Djuuji   
used to be the same kingdom, but once they split they had been fighting   
over national borders ever since. His Excellency Janus Kushrenada had   
pulled several of the other members of the Earth Sphere Alliance into   
this fight, and Queen Delphiniel of Djuuji had done the same.   
  
It seemed as if his Excellency was the only man left in the nation. If   
things got to be any worse, Nimue would have to start turning to women   
to put food on the table.   
  
Of course, his Excellency was in his palace, not the streets. Kushrenada   
was going through some hard times, and the royal family was a little less   
than popular at the moment. Janus would have to be a moron to walk through   
Oaschaal without bodyguards.  
  
Or so Nimue thought.   
  
"You are open for business, no?" she heard a voice from the shadows say   
with a heavy accent that immediately marked it as a politician. The   
Kushrenadi royal family was from Germany, and had still retained their   
accents.  
  
"Yes, I am. It is surprising to see a man out on the streets in these   
troubled times," Nimue answered. She decided not to let on that she   
had an idea of what position this man held.  
  
"Well, I get out when I can," the man replied. "My wife and children are   
away in America for the week, so it gets pretty lonely at home."  
  
Shit, Nimue thought. Married men always made her feel guilty. She then   
noticed, that under all of his rich garments and royal insignias, that he   
was drunk off his ass. He hid it well, and didn't slur his speech or stumble.  
If Nimue hadn't just been particularly gifted at telling this kinds of   
things, she would have never noticed.  
  
"You've been drinking, your Excellency," Nimue said matter-of-factly. "I   
don't like to do drunks."  
  
"How can you blame me?" he asked, visibly hurt. No matter how much control   
he had over his balance and speech, he had little or none over his feelings. "We  
lost another battle to those Djuuji bastards. If it keeps up like this,   
we'll end up losing more land than we gain. The fact that the colonies still  
refuse to support us only throws more kindling into the fire."  
  
"Oh," Nimue said. "So you drowned your sorrows in wine."  
  
"Yeah. So what does it take to get a screw around here?"  
  
"Money. Isn't that what everything in the world takes? Now come and drown   
your sorrows in me for a while.  
  
~ ~ ~  
  
Nimue was lost... lost in sea of pleasure... and happiness? ...It felt   
like it would never end...  
  
And yet it did.  
  
"Oh my God..." Nimue said.  
  
"You enjoyed it, eh?" Janus said.  
  
"Y-yes...."   
  
Then Janus bore an expression that looked like God had just fired a   
lightning bolt upon him. "You... are on the pill, right?"  
  
"No. Do you know how expensive those things are? I usually depend on the   
guy to have something?"  
  
"What... what if you get pregnant?" he stammered.  
  
"I can't think of any other man I'd rather have father my child. Rich,   
powerful..."   
  
Janus was angry. "Is that all you care about? Having a bastard child so I   
have to pay for him? Were you just waiting for some rich drunkard to come   
walking down the street in hopes of screwing and getting rich?"  
  
"No, of course not! It's just that I... Well, it was a spur of the moment   
kind of thing," Nimue pleaded.  
  
"Hmph. How much do I owe you? Besides child support?" he sneered.  
  
"Two hundred and fifty kushrea," she said.  
  
"I only have a hundred..." he said. He then reached up to his neck and   
unhooked something. It was a necklace on a gold chain, with a small   
sapphire-colored jewel in the shape of a tear hanging from it. "Here.   
It's been passed down through the Kushrenada family for generations. Wear   
it. Pawn it. I don't care. Just get out of my life."  
  
Nimue took the necklace and money into her open palm. He had given her a   
family heirloom. "Will I ever see you again."  
  
"If so, I'll have you arrested," he said plainly. And then he left.  
  
~  
  
Nine months later, Nimue was stalking the streets again, looking for men... specifically Janus. She   
could think of nothing but him, and she didn't know why. He had good looks   
and outward charisma, but those were apparently his only redeeming values.  
  
And she carried a young child with her. He had the same blue eyes as her,   
but his hair was more of a mossy brown as opposed to her shiny black. She   
supposed he got it from of on Janus' relatives. Nimue wondered if anyone   
would notice and speculate.  
  
She also carried one more thing with her. The previous day, she had reached  
into the pocket of her oversized men's overcoat to pull out a slip of paper.  
  
*************************************************************************  
****FROM THE DESK OF PROFESSOR I, LEADER OF THE FATE KUSHRENADA BRANCH***  
*************************************************************************  
  
Dearest Nimue Yui,  
  
Yes, I know your name. I know many things about you, in fact. but don't be   
alarmed. The only reason I know them is because you make facts about   
yourself accessible. I don't pry.  
  
Do please come to the Fate building on the corner of Peacecraft and Victoria  
Street tomorrow morning. I have a proposition that you would find most   
interesting.  
  
Adieu,  
  
Professor I  
  
*************************************************************************  
****FROM THE DESK OF PROFESSOR I, LEADER OF THE FATE KUSHRENADA BRANCH***  
*************************************************************************  
  
This was the corner of Peacecraft and Victoria. It was a simple building, a   
few stories high and made of brick, with no signs or anything offering   
identification on the outside. There were only a few windows, and only one   
door.  
  
Whatever could an organization like Fate want her for?  
  
Nimue held her breath in anticipation and pushed the door open.  
  
  
  
  
  
~~~  
  
And... that's it for Chapter One. Finally. Esmerelda know show hard it's   
been for me to write this chapter. Thanks for cheering me on!  
  
And... um.... I know this chapter was kind of short and a little sleazy and  
well, rushed.... but try to read the rest of this fic too, okay? Please?   
And you can either review each chapter separately, or wait until I finish   
the whole story (which will probably take me forever, since it's about   
eight or ten chapters long and I unfortunately have a life. Ugh).  
  
So... uh..... that's it, I guess. Bye.  
  
~Mercutio  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	2. In the Arms of Fate

Systems of Fate Chapter 2 

In the Arms of Fate 

by Mercutio   


Nimue wandered in through the door, Heero bundled up and clutched to her   
chest. They were in a dull hallway with whitewashed walls and a tiled   
floor. A secretary sat behind a desk filing her nails. 

"Excuse me," Nimue said. "I have an appointment with Professor I. I was   
told to meet him here at three o' clock." 

"Just a moment," the secretary said unpleasantly. She could tell clearly   
what Nimue's profession was, and disapproved of Professor I seeing her.   
"Professor I will see you in the first room on your left after you pass   
through those green double doors." 

"Thank you, miss," Nimue said. She pushed open the large doors, which   
lead her too a hallway with surroundings that starkly contrasted with   
those of the lobby. The walls, ceiling, and floor were all made of a   
strange mirror-like substance that tossed Nimue's reflection around the   
room and bounced it off the other walls. There were no light fixtures   
to be seen, rather, it seemed that the light was coming from within the   
walls. Heero giggled in her arms at all of the shining images that   
surrounded them. Nimue could not find the door that the secretary had   
spoken of, but there were panels at various intervals on the walls,   
some on the floors, and a few even hanging from the ceiling. She turned   
to the first panel on her left, and pressed the button. 

[Please scan in your security card,] a calm voice said. 

"...I don't have a security card," replied Nimue. 

[You should have received a security card at the front desk,] the voice   
responded. 

"But I didn't! The secretary didn't give me one! Can't you just let me in?" 

[You should have received a security card at the front desk,] it repeated.   
Nimue realized that it was a recording and there was no use arguing with it,   
and turned away to return to the lobby. 

"Wait, please don't leave!" a different voice said. "Don't mind the security   
system. It doesn't seem to like visitors." 

Nimue turned once again to see an elderly man with gray hair and goggles.   
Looking over him, she noticed that under his white laboratory coat he had a   
mechanical hand and leg. 

"My name is Doctor J, assistant to Professor I. Are you the one that he has   
been waiting for? Are you Nimue?" 

"Yes, that is my name," she said. "What is this place? Why was I called here?" 

"We are sellers of fortune," Doctor J said. "People give us money, and in return,   
we deal them their fate." 

"...What? Are you some kind of fortune-teller or something? If so, I'm not   
wasting my time here." Said Nimue. 

"Oh, goodness no, we don't tell people their future. We give it to them." 

This guy's insane,> Nimue thought. 

"I was beckoned to talk with Professor I, not some senile apprentice," Nimue   
said. 

"Humph. No need to be rude. Although I'm pretty sure you'll be disappointed   
when you meet the good Professor. He's just as deranged as I am, hehehehe..."   
  
"Oh, dear God," Nimue said. "Just take me to him." 

"Right." Doctor J hobbled over to the door that Nimue had been told to enter   
from the beginning, and pressed the button on the panel. 

[Please scan in your security card.] 

"Oh, you know who I am. I don't need to scan in my card," the doctor grumbled. 

[Yes, you do.] 

"Oh, fine." He pulled a card out of his pocket and ran it through the scanner. 

[Level Black security card approved. Please come in.] 

"Level Black?" Nimue asked. 

"Our security cards are arranged by colors. White denotes minimal security, such   
as for a restroom or broom closet, and it goes from yellow, green, blue, and red   
until it gets to maximum security, black." 

One of the mirrored segments slid up and let them through. The new room that they   
were in was yet another shocking change. The mirrored walls were gone completely.   
They had been replaced by a material that resembled sandstone, and were draped with   
medieval tapestries and oil paintings that looked centuries old. She could not see   
the material of the floor as it was carpeted with many elegant Persian rugs. Along the   
walls and in every corner were large Greek and Egyptian urns filled with exotic plants   
that Nimue couldn't even begin to identify. At the end of this long room was a wooden   
desk with a comfortable-looking chair behind it. And in this chair sat a man who was   
dressed like Doctor J, but was a bit younger and lacked J's cyborg appendages. He had   
a completely bald head and striking green eyes. 

"Hello," he said cordially. Nimue Yui, I presume?" 

"Yes, sir," she said. Already she had more respect than for Doctor J. 

"I am Professor I, the dealer of fate." Nimue was about to complain before he interrupted   
her. "Hush. I don't know what Doctor J told you to make you think I'm so insane, but   
whatever it is, it's probably less than accurate. We specialize in taking people in and   
making them more than what they were before. Let me show you." 

He stood up, and hooked his arm around Nimue's to direct her, and J followed closely behind.   
He led her out of the office and back into the mirrored hall. 

[Good day, Professor I,] the mechanical security voice chimed. [Are these your guests?] 

"Yes, they are. Please allow them to travel through with me," he said. He then turned to Nimue.   
"Since this is my organization, I am the only person allowed to pass freely into any room without   
a security card. You did get one, did you not?" 

"No, the secretary never gave me a card. If it wasn't for Doctor J, I could have never gotten into   
your office." 

"Hmmm... we'll have to arrange for a card for you soon, Nimue. In the meantime, you can just hang   
around with me and use me as your pass." 

They next entered a room that was a little ways down from Professor I's office. "Here at Fate, we   
specialize in giving people a better future through the wonders of science and psychology. We call   
these people the Fated, although it's really no more than an ominous and fancy term for 'test subject'."   
Upon seeing Nimue wince a bit, he quickly corrected himself. "Of course, we never, ever involve humans in   
tests that could be potentially dangerous. See, look in this room that we're in right now. This is the   
quarters of the Fated." 

The room was metallic like the hallway, but had a soft gray carpet on the floor. There were at least a   
dozen columns made of a jade-colored glass that reached from the floor to the ceiling. Upon closer   
inspection, Nimue realized that the columns were hollow and filled with a bubbling liquid. She then   
realized that a couple of the columns contained... people? 

Upon seeing Nimue's shocked expression, Professor I quickly tried to calm her down. "These tubes are the sleeping quarters of the Fated. They provide an optimum environment for the people when they are at rest, and can keep them sleeping for a month at a time. It pumps nutrients, oxygen, and other necessities in and out of the tubes. The founder of Fate, Chief Scientist A, invented them. Quite genius, actually." 

"Will... I have to be in one of these?" Nimue asked tentatively, afraid to hear the answer. 

"At first, no, you may sleep in a bed in the room next door. However, you will quickly grow adjusted to Fate's systems and the way we run things, and will eventually find a bed uncomfortable and prefer the tubes instead." 

Nimue stared at the floating bodies. I wonder if they dream in there,> she thought. 

"No, I don't believe so." Professor I said nonchalantly. 

"How did you do that?" Nimue demanded, as shocked as if someone had broken into her house or molested her. 

"You sent it," Professor I said. "We have experiments here at Fate that attempt to give people telepathic capabilities. However, it's extremely dangerous, and the results seem to vary. I had the test and I black out every once in a while. Doctor J, however, lost the use of several limbs and his eyes, requiring cyborg implants to correct it. One of our test subjects, Olivia, who you can see here in Tube 3," he said, pointing to a tube that contained a peacefully sleeping woman who looked normal except for the fact that her skin was changing colors. It reminded Nimue of her childhood when she used to hold bubbles up to the light and watch the swirling colors change. "has lost control of her skin pigmentation as a result. We don't know how it happened or why it happened, but it most certainly did. In fact, Chief Scientist A is the only person to undergo the operation without any side effects. 

"That is why we need you. We think we have devised a way to give the ability without the side effects by channeling it through a machine. It would limit the capabilities, but would hopefully open up many more. People like the Chief Scientist A and I are able to send messages to people- although they often don't realize it, so it's more like planting ideas in their mind- and receiving messages that people offer to us... thoughts that they want to speak, but don't. With the machines, it would still be the receiving, but the sending would most likely be lost. But there would be amplified reflexes, improved instincts, and many other qualities. It would be especially useful in a battle. We already have one test subject that we're using," he said, indicating another tube with a blond infant inside. "This young lady, codenamed Dorothy, has currently only been undergoing psychological influences to help achieve our goal, since she is too small to do any real tests of capabilities. However, we are a bit impatient, and would like to know its effects on an adult who can do all of the tests. That would be your role, Nimue. How about it?" 

Nimue had to think for a minute. While it could be potentially dangerous -she didn't care what Professor I said, the possibility was always there- it also offered free room and board, and hopefully a home and education for Heero. Plus, the offer of telepathic powers? How could she resist? "I'll do it," she said. 

~ ~ ~ 

Nimue and Heero were beginning to get used to daily life at Fate. They both spent their days in the columns, occasionally awakening to participate in telepathy tests. Heero was not involved in any tests, but Nimue was often in the same room as the young Dorothy. She was at most a year older than Heero, and was the most serious little baby Nimue had ever seen. 

Nimue never got to see the actual machine that she was being operated on to work with. All of her tests were run with a blindfold on, or if they involved any movement, than with a screen in front of her face depicting a serene field blooming with flowers to run through. It was unlike anything she had ever seen in nature, as Kushrenada was a stormy, rocky country. Most of the fields were in Djuuji to the south. 

Nimue also received a blue security card. Although she was rarely awake to use it, it gave her limited freedom and allowed her to access all of the Fated rooms, including the library and art gallery. The Fate building was one of those kinds that were much larger on the inside than the outside. Judging by all the staircases, it extending for God knew how far underground. Of course, the only underground room she was allowed in was the library, so she could not begin to imagine what sort of strange things were kept in those forbidden rooms. Only Professor I and Doctor J were allowed to pass through. 

However, as grateful as Nimue was, there was a deep curiosity within her that could not be sated with a simple 'It's not for me to know.' What was kept deep within the vaults of Fate? Why was it forbidden to gaze upon the machine that she was being tested with? 

What was Fate hiding?   



	3. Behind Fate's Doors

Systems of Fate Chapter Three 

Behind Fate's Doors 

by Mercutio 

Nimue slowly walked through the mirrored corridor of Fate. She had no idea how long she had been hibernating in her column, as there were neither calendars nor clocks to keep track of time's passing. Fate tried to keep the test subjects from missing the outside world too much. It was probably better that way. It wasn't like the world had given Nimue anything to miss. 

Except Janus. 

But he was gone now. Perhaps the Kushrenada-Djuuji War had ended, and he was the proud monarch of both kingdoms. Or he could be lying in a grave, killed in a Mobile Suit attack. But Nimue preferred not to think about that. 

She was also not receiving the telepathic powers that she had expected. Whatever machine they had been connecting her too apparently hadn't been doing much for her. She had to keep her doubt deep inside herself, though, as the scientists didn't like it when she accidentally projected it for every telepath in the world to pick up. 

But now she felt something calling to her. She didn't know what on earth it could be since she couldn't receive messages. However, it wasn't quite a message... more like a pulling. 

A pulling to the Black Level area of Fate. 

Armed with only her Yellow Level card, Nimue quietly crept down the mirrored corridor to the door at the very end, the door that only Professor I and Doctor J could enter. 

[Please scan in your security card,] the metallic voice chimed. 

Nimue ran her card through the scanner. 

[Yellow Level card denied. You may pass only if you have a Black Level card.] 

Damn. It didn't work. But what was Nimue to do now? She couldn't just turn around while whatever it was behind the door kept calling out to her, even when she slept inside her column. However, it seemed like she had no choice. Without a Black Level card, she couldn't get through. 

Where was that old coot Doctor J when she needed him? Incidentally, she found him in the lobby flirting with the secretary. They were both distracted, Doctor J by the secretary and she by her failing task to drive him away. Nimue only hoped that J kept the card in the same pocket as he had when they first met. She quietly slipped in, and gently replaced her Yellow Level card with his Black one. 

"What on earth?" Doctor J exclaimed upon looking down to see her reaching into his pockets. 

"Oh... why, hello, Doctor J," she said nonchalantly. 

"May I ask what you are doing in there?" he said. 

"I saw your card lying in the hallway. You must have dropped it. Since you seemed awfully busy trying to cup a feel on the secretary, I decided not to interrupt you and just dropped it in." 

Doctor J seemed too embarrassed to continue the interrogation. Nimue left without a word. Now she could go see what had been calling out to her, and hopefully silence it. 

Nimue scanned in the card without a problem, and entered through the door. 

There was a giant staircase carved of stone winding down. The stone railings were cold to her touch, and there was very little light. It almost seemed like a troll's cave out of a fairy tale. But at the bottom, there was a drastic change. The floor was paneled with metal, and there were controls and computers and machines that Nimue couldn't even begin to identify everywhere in the huge room. 

At the very end of the room, she saw a person. 

Oh God,> she thought. Is it one of the scientists?> 

However, as she walked closer, she saw that it indeed was not. This person was a woman, completely undressed. She gave off no sign that she noticed Nimue at all, although she was looking right at her. 

And when Nimue got even closer, she realized why. The woman had no face. Where her eyes, nostrils, ears, and mouth should have been, there was just a covering of skin with slight indentations. She also had no forehead, because her entire brain was exposed, just sitting there in a large cut in her skull like a content cat on a cushion. Her heart was also exposed, and was visibly pumping. It made Nimue sick. She felt as if she could almost hear it beating, and the sound was pounding into her own skull. The woman didn't appear to have any other organs; in fact, there was a large gaping cavity where many of them should have been. She also lacked breasts and genitalia; the skin had apparently grown- or been planted- over where they should have been. Her legs were horribly marred and twisted like wood left to warp in sea water and her arms were missing altogether, replaced with useless stumps. 

But the most horrifying part was the wires. They were everywhere, jabbing into the woman's brain and heart and skin and, oh God, Nimue thought she was going to vomit. There were tens upon hundreds upon thousands of them. It looked as if every hair on her body had been replaced with a wire, there were that many. And they all branched out and hooked her to all the computers surrounding her, radiating out from her like some sort of horrible ball gown.   


Professor I suddenly appeared behind Nimue. "Behold," he said, "The Zero System."   
  


~ 

Author's Notes 

Yeah, I know that this chapter was really, REALLY short, but I tried writing it into the other chapters and it seemed to have more of an effect on its own. Oh well. Chapter Four will be pretty short as well, but they'll build up in length after that. Yay, right? 

~Mercutio 


	4. Adieu, Mon Ami

Systems of Fate Chapter Four 

Adieu, Mon Ami 

by Mercutio   


"The Zero System?" Nimue said. 

"Yes," Professor I said, with a hint of pride. "The daughter of my genius and the mother of what will soon be known as modern warfare. The Zero System runs on anger- both her anger and the anger of the recipient. The anger makes the pilot much more effective in battle... and gives him the sub-telepathic powers that we discussed when you first came to Fate." 

"Wha... what?" Nimue said, in shock. "You mean you two loony bastards used ME to test it? This is the place that I came to blindfolded?" 

"Yes, you are correct," Professor I said. 

Nimue collapsed on the floor. Never since Professor I had first read her mind had she ever felt so violated. "And what about her? What about that woman you used? Did you lie to her and tell her that there was nothing dangerous happening? Do all of your test subjects end up like that? Will Dorothy and Olivia and I all end up like that?" 

"Oh, goodness no. That woman wanted to have it done to her. She was the only person who has been able to completely safely undergo the telepathic process without side effects." 

"So you hacked her to bits and removed her face." 

"Don't interrupt. You remember what I told you about the only person to completely survive the process?" 

"That's Chief Scientist A? You mutated your own boss and hooked her up to a bunch of telepathy machines and then hooked ME up to her? How could you?" 

"How could I what? I've broken no promises. Neither you nor Heero have come to any harm." Professor I said. 

"But..." 

"No 'buts'. Now come upstairs and forget all about seeing that thing," Professor I said in a soothing tone. 

Run, Nimue.> 

Nimue slapped Professor I in the face. "How DARE you plant ideas into my mind like that!" she screamed. 

To her surprise, he slapped her back, so hard that she fell to the floor. "I did no such thing! And keep your hands to yourself! You're lucky I'm even allowing you to stay at Fate. Your eyes have been tainted and you can no longer work as a test subject. But if we release you to the outside world, you will certainly spread the word about the Zero System. You have no idea how extremely fortunate you are to still be allowed to LIVE." Nimue looked up to see a gun pointed to her face. "I should kill you right now and get it over with. You betrayed all trust Fate had in you. You are worthless." 

Even with a gun in her face, Nimue could not back down. "But if you didn't just tell me to run, who did?" 

"I'm sure you imagined it," he said, as if he didn't even care. Nimue was shocked by the sudden change of personality in him. 

Run, Nimue.> 

Take his gun.> 

And run.> 

That voice again! 

I can't,> Nimue thought in reply I can't take his gun... and I can't leave Heero...> 

Heero will be safe here. He shall come to no harm, and receive one of the futures that Fate offers. It will be much better than the life he will live as a prostitute's bastard.> 

Nimue felt a crushing blow to her soul. 

Forgive me, I intended no offense by my foolish remark.> 

"Who are you?" Nimue said aloud, regardless of Professor I's presence. He just looked at her strangely, not moving the gun. 

Who do you think?> 

Are you the Zero System?> 

I'm going to get the gun for you. Take it and run.> And is if following the voice's orders, Professor I's gun flew out of his hands and into Nimue's open hands. She instantly pointed it towards him. 

"What... how the hell did you do that?" he exclaimed. Nimue knew that she hadn't done anything, but rather it had been whatever was talking to her. However, she decided not to let on. 

"It doesn't matter," she said. "All I know is that I need to get out of her. Now let me go or I will shoot." 

"You could never shoot me," he said. 

Nimue realized that he was right. "No... I can't... but I have no qualms against shooting your precious Zero System." She pointed her gun to the woman. "If you do not let me go, I'll destroy it. I know that you don't want all that time and money to go to waste." 

Professor I looked defeated. "Fine... you can leave. But you must not tell anyone about what you have seen. If you do, we will kill Heero without a second thought." 

"Fine," Nimue said. She paused for a moment to slip Janus' teardrop necklace off. "Give this to Heero." Professor I took it and nodded. 

And taking the gun with her, Nimue left without another word. 

~ ~ ~ 

So she has left?> 

"Yes. And about time, too." 

I see. I knew it would work." 

"Knew what would work?" 

That if I gave her a reason to leave, she would. Then we would have Heero all for ourselves.> 

"You brought her here on purpose? Did you realize how risky it is?" 

It is worth having Heero. I can already see how that child will change the world in so many ways... and if he's going to do all that, I want him on our side.> 

Begin testing him. Take the Dorothy girl out of the program and return her to Durmail. If he asks, tell him she wasn't compatible with the tests.> 

"But removing her from the program so abruptly could-" 

I don't care! She can take all the brain damage she bloody well wants, and it still won't matter. I want Heero. NOW, Professor I!> 

"...Yes. I apologize for my impudence." 

~ ~ ~ 

Nimue was running. 

Running from Fate. She was worried to tears about Heero, but despite it all she ran like the wind. She wanted out of Oaschaal. She wanted out of Kushrenada. Maybe she even wanted off the planet. All she knew was that she wanted away. She knew well that no one was chasing her, but she wanted to run anyway. It was all she could think to do. 

"Oof," a voice said. Nimue realized that she had run into someone. She looked up into his face, and saw that it was Janus. She didn't bother to apologize, she was too full of sorrow and dread to do anything but throw herself onto him and sob onto his shoulder. 

"Are you all right?" he said. Nimue was not sure, so she just sort of shook her head neutrally. 

"I've been thinking about you," he said. 

"What?" Nimue said, shocked. It wasn't every guy who still thought about her at least nine months after they declared their hatred for each other. 

"I said I've been thinking about you. I've been trying to find you, but I couldn't. I wanted to apologize for my words and actions."   
  
"I've been... away," she said. She then looked up at him, and through her tears she noticed that he was not well either. "You look sad too," she said. 

"My wife was killed in the bombing of Razara. It's been very hard for me to cope with." 

"Considering the fact that you slept with me in downtown Oaschaal, I find that a little hard to believe, your Excellency." 

He didn't respond for a moment. Then, he suddenly said, "You got rid of the necklace." 

"I gave it to our son." 

"Our... son?" he said, startled. "Where is he?" 

"He's gone now..."   



	5. Tea With the Queen

Systems of Fate Chapter Five

Tea with the Queen

It only took one quick shot and Prime Minister Talazid was assassinated of Heero Yui, assassin of Fate. He had no idea who Talazid was, of course. Professor I and Doctor J never told him anything but who the person was, where he was, and how to assassinate him.

That was Heero's world.

Assassinate. Assassinate. Assassinate. Day in and day out. He sometimes did it with style, by dressing up and pretending to be a guard or servant and in one case a paramour, although he knew not the meaning of any of these terms. Other times, he just appeared and pointed the gun at them, maybe said something simple like "I'm here to assassinate you," and shot them in the face.

"Oh dear God!" a voice cried. "You killed my husband!" Heero didn't stop to listen to it, though. He had no time to wonder what was happening or what the woman meant by 'killed' or 'husband'. They were all foreign words to him. He wished to one day know what they were, but he could not stop to ask the woman, for his orders were to never get caught. He didn't see why she was so upset. All he did was assassinate him.

He ran until he was able to find a taxi. "I want to be taken to Oaschaal," he said.

"Sorry, son, but this taxi doesn't leave the country. I can't take you any further than the outskirts of Ründara."

"That will work. Just take me there," he said.

They drove for a little while through a crowded city, occasionally getting caught up in traffic.

"Damn," the driver said. "What's with all these people? It seems like everyone's panicking." Heero just shrugged.

"What business do you have in Oaschaal?" the driver asked, trying again to start up a conversation.

"I'm not supposed to talk about it."

"Hmph. Well, if I were you, I wouldn't walk around telling people you need to get into Kushrenada. It doesn't make you look very good. You might as well just save yourself the trouble and ask for an ass-kicking."

"Huh?"

"Have you been living under a log, son? No one in Djuuji, especially Ründara, likes anyone from Kushrenada, what with the war and all. So that's why I'm telling you to keep your mouth shut."

"Oh... uh, thank you," Heero said awkwardly. There these people go again, using strange words that didn't make any sense. He would have to ask Professor I what they meant when he got back to Fate.

After a few more moments of silence, the driver suddenly announced that they were there. "Outskirts of Ründara. That'll be a thousand djuu."

"What are djuu?" Heero asked.

"Money, son, I need money. I have to eat every once in a while, you know. Now stop playing stupid and pay me."

"...Just a moment," Heero said. He tried prying the doors open, but they must have been locked.

"I'll open the doors if you open your wallet, son. Don't even think about trying to get away without paying."

Heero sighed and pulled out the gun that he had used to assassinate Talazid. "You **will** open the doors, sir," he said calmly. He didn't know what it was about guns that so intimidated people, but it seemed to work with the taxi driver as well as it had with everyone else.

"What? Who the hell are you, son? Are you a spy from Kushrenada or something? Is that why you wanted to get to Oaschaal? I should report you immediately. There is no way you're leaving this c-" With a bang, the taxi driver slumped over, blood gushing from his face. Heero climbed over him to reach the driver's seat. He pushed the body over out of the way, and took off.

The Fate building wasn't as far away as he expected. When he arrived there, he pressed a bunch of random buttons for about five minutes until he found the one that opened the door locks. He then just simply left, as if he had forgotten about the driver completely.

When he got there, Doctor J was waiting for him. "Excuse me, Heero, but did I just see you pull up in a Djuuji taxi?"

"Yes."

"And why isn't it pulling away and returning?"

"I assassinated the driver."

"Oh my." Doctor J looked shocked. "You know very well what our rules are. You are only supposed to ki- assassinate those whom you are ordered to do so to and anyone who stands in your way."

"But the driver was standing in my way! He said he was going to report me, and I didn't know why and he wouldn't let me leave, because I didn't have any djuu."

"Heero... you don't understand. You can't go around shooting people left and right. It arouses suspicion and Fate can't afford to have its identity revealed to the public."

"Why not?" Heero asked innocently.

"That is none of your business! From now on, you kill no one without permission!" Doctor J yelled, frustrated.

"Kill...? What is kill?" Heero said to the empty room.

~

"You have a new mission, Heero," one of the interns at Fate said to him after taking him out of the column that he rested in. She was about eighteen or nineteen, with long blonde hair that she kept hanging down her shoulders in braids. Her name was Sally Po. She also had a younger sister about Heero's age named Jekka, although they didn't bear much resemblance. Jekka's hair was short and black and only reached her ears, and while Sally worked with the Fated themselves, Jekka mainly served as a messenger. Like almost all of Fate's test subjects and employees, they had been found on the streets and brought in, although that was all Heero knew about their past. The lives that they had once lived were locked up in a file cabinet in Professor I's lavish office with the files of everyone else, even the secretary and janitors.

"Here it is," she said, handing the instructions to him. "I don't know where they expect you to go, so I can't give you any advice this time." Sally used to give him helpful tips on acting and other aspects to fine-tune his operations, but ever since she found out that he needed to be sent to assassinate a Djuuji senator, she stopped reading his orders.

"Thank you," he said. Why had she stopped giving him advice? Did Sally have something against assassination?

He opened the instructions to read them.

***************************************************************************   
****FROM THE DESK OF PROFESSOR I, LEADER OF THE FATE KUSHRENADA BRANCH*****   
***************************************************************************

To Heero, Fated # 00063

Your mission is to assassinate Queen Delphiniel, a woman with golden eyes and black hair and who dresses quite well. You will find her in a building called the Djuuji Palace in Ründara, which you will need to infiltrate in order to reach her. You will be delivered to the back gates of the Palace by Fate tomorrow night, but you will need to get home on your own. Take extra money so you don't have to shoot any taxi drivers in the face. You will assassinate Delphiniel with a Series 8 Muted Hand Pistol B, which will be given to you at the palace. It can only carry three bullets, so you will receive two guns in case any guards get in your way. You will be disguised as a royal servant, so they should not be too much trouble. Jekka will give you your costume before you leave. When you arrive at the palace, take an immediate left to reach the kitchens, where one of our own will give you a tray laden with food and tell you to take it up to the Queen. There will be food under the lid, and the guns will be hidden beneath it. The Fate spy will give you directions to the room Delphiniel will be staying in. Don't worry about finding him; he'll recognize you and address you first. Follow these instructions as closely as possible, and only add lib if you absolutely must.

***************************************************************************   
****FROM THE DESK OF PROFESSOR I, LEADER OF THE FATE KUSHRENADA BRANCH*****   
***************************************************************************

~

"Heero, are you ready to go?" Jekka asked. She was holding some servant's robes bundled up in her hands. "I have your disguise ready."

"Thank you."

"Who are you assassinating this time?" she asked. "Sally never tells me since she doesn't read the orders any more."

"Someone named Queen Delphiniel," he said.

Jekka wore a look of shock on her face. Heero couldn't figure out why.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing..." she said.

"Okay." Heero started to leave.

"Heero, wait," Jekka said. "Just... be careful. I... I... I don't want you to make any stupid mistakes, okay?"

"What could go wrong?" he asked.

~

Donned in his servant's costume, Heero entered the royal kitchen. A man wearing the same type of garments approached him and said "Here. Her Majesty wants this to be taken to her chambers immediately."

"Yes sir," Heero said as he took the silver tray with a dome-shaped lid over it. "What room is her Majesty in tonight?"

"She is in her bedroom. Take the main staircase and then take a left turn. It's the room at the very end of the hall. Hurry Now. You don't want to leave her waiting."

Heero nodded and left the kitchen into the main hall. There was a large staircase that was covered with soft carpet that was red with spiraling black designs. He climbed up it, passing a few other servants and guards, none of which took heed of him. He then took a left into a large hallway filled with paintings and mirrors. It reminded him a little bit of the Fate main hall, only more lively.

The last door at the very end of the hall was a large golden door that had a solitary guard standing in front of it. He wore what looked like a finer version of the servants' robes, but they were red instead of blue and had military insignias embroidered into them. He also carried a weapon that looked like a cross between a trident and a rifle.

"Halt!" he said. "Her Majesty has given no orders for food."

"Her Majesty is feeling ill tonight and requested something to eat and drink," said Heero.

"Why isn't Marianela delivering it? Isn't she the kitchen servant?"

"Marianela is also feeling ill."

The guard was still suspicious. "Why haven't I ever seen you here before?"

Heero sighed. "If you don't believe me, just look under the lid for yourself." The guard did so, and saw a kettle and a few cups and saucers sitting there next to some bread, cheese, and fruit.

"Wait... what's that under the food?" he said.

"Oh, that? It's just a gun," Heero said nonchalantly before he grabbed it and aimed at the guard's chest. The shot was silent, and the guard slumped to the floor staring at Heero. "You..."

Heero shrugged and stepped over him to knock on the large golden doors.

"Who is it?" a smooth and silky voice chimed.

"I'm come bringing the food you requested."

"What's that? You don't sound like Marianela, and I never requested any food."

Why won't these people cooperate?> Heero thought. He decided to just open the door and rush in and assassinate her. That would be easier than arguing with her.

Inside, he saw a young woman that couldn't be older than twenty. She had long hair that was both gold and black and twisted into braids, and eyes that looked like pieces of amber with flecks of gold inside. Her skin was dark, and seemed to be covered in several places by black and gold tattoos that twisted around her arms, legs, and back like tendrils of smoke. She was dressed in a thin translucent white silk robe. She looked up and let out a short gasp.

"Who are you?" she asked. "What do you think you are doing?"

Heero held his gun up. "I'm here to assassinate you, your Majesty."

"Wait!" Delphiniel exclaimed. "Before you kill me, let me ask you one thing."

That 'kill' word again... what was it?

"Were you sent by Kushrenada?"

"I don't know," Heero said weakly, but he still kept the pistol aimed for the Queen.

"Were you sent by any of Kushrenada's allies?"

"I don't know."

"Were you sent by the Kushrenadi sympathizers?"

"I don't know!" Heero yelled, before realizing that he needed to be quiet lest more guards hear him.

"Ah... then you were sent by one of the Fate branches. Only they would resort to child assassins," Delphiniel said coldly. "So this is how Professor I decided to do it..."

Heero lowered the pistol just a tiny bit. "You know Professor I?"

"If it wasn't for Professor I, I probably would have never become Queen of Djuuji," she said.

"What? Were you a Fated too?"

"Oh, by no means. I would never let myself become a Fated. But the story wouldn't make sense unless I told you more about the history of Kushrenada and Djuuji," Delphiniel said, eyeing Heero. It was apparent that she did want to tell him, however.

"I'm not allowed to listen to people talk about things like 'history' and 'religion' and 'death'. I don't know what they are, but Professor I says they'll get in the way."

"Of course the bastard says that. He knows that if you let ideas like those get in your head, you'd never be able to assassinate someone. You don't even know what assassination really is, do you?"

"It's when I... it's when I shoot somebody. I don't see what the big deal is."

"Do you know what happens when you assassinate someone?"

"They bleed and go to sleep," Heero said, although deep down he knew that wasn't the whole answer.

"They die, Heero. You kill them. Not only do they do to sleep, they don't wake up. That's what death is."

Heero looked shocked. "They... never wake up?"

"Never. They stay forever sleeping, and the people who knew them must live on in pain. Now do you see why Professor I never told you what death was?"

The would-be assassin dropped the gun, and it landed on the floor. The trigger was pressed when it fell, and a silent bullet shot out and hit the stone wall, bouncing off with a _clang_. "Oh... oh..." He didn't even know the words to make the right phrase. Was he really that sheltered? Had they really been hiding the truth from him at Fate?

"I believe the correct term would be 'Oh my God' or something related to it," Delphiniel offered.

"Tell me the truth," Heero said. "All of it. I want to know what happens outside of Fate."

"Gladly," said Delphiniel. "Sit down here. Bring the tea with you. I didn't order it, but almost getting killed has made me thirsty."

Heero brought the tray over and sat down. The chair was plush and very comfortable, and he felt like he would sink into it. Delphiniel took the lid off the tray and removed the kettle and saucers. She poured some tea into each cup.

"Would you like cream or sugar in yours?" Delphiniel asked as politely as a little girl playing tea party with her dolls.

"What's that?" Heero asked as Delphiniel giggled. He just stared. While he had seen Jekka smile in his direction, he had never heard laughter before. Although he somehow instinctively knew what it was, it was still a foreign, yet beautiful, sound to him.

"I knew you were sheltered at Fate, but I didn't know you were that sheltered," the Queen said. "Just try it anyway. I'm sure you'll like it." She put both into the tea and handed it to him. "Now, where to start?"

"I want to know the truth about Fate," Heero said.

Delphiniel shrugged helplessly. "Not even I know the truth about Fate. I know that it is a company that does scientific research, and it helps unfortunate people that it takes off the street 'find their own fate'. It is also usually affiliated with the government of whatever country the particular base is in. The headquarters is in Tokyo, and the leader of Fate is called Chief Scientist A. That's all I know."

"Oh," Heero said, somewhat disappointed. "How do you know Professor I?"

"Hoo boy," Delphiniel said. "Where to start... well, I suppose I should begin by explaining the history of Djuuji and Kushrenada, and then how and why I became the Queen. I'm sure that will also answer many questions about your assassinations, also... what did you say your name was?"

"I didn't."

"Would you mind telling me?" Delphiniel asked.

"I can't. That's confidential," Heero said, although he desperately wanted to tell her.

"Oh, come one..." Delphiniel pleaded with a smile. "You've already failed to kill me, learned what death is, and you're now learning the secret history of the world around a cup of tea with the woman you were supposed to assassinate. Telling me your name can't do that much more damage."

"...Heero. Heero Yui."

"Good, Heero. Now, let me tell you what the world is."

  
~   
  
So how is it so far? Please do tell me, or I'm afraid I might have to kick an ass or several if people don't review me. ARRRRRRRRRRRG! GONNA KICK YOU!!!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Oh, and Chapter 6 is coming soon.


	6. A World Torn by Fate

Systems of Fate Chapter Six

A World Torn by Fate

"Many years ago, when the space colonies were still young, Germany annexed some Mediterranean territory that was then known as La Costa del Corozón, from the days that it was occupied by Spain. It consisted of two regions, the cool and rainy Zolia to the north, and the warm and sunny Djuuji to the South. It was also occupied by two major ethnic groups, the Zoli and the Djuujiana. However, the people of La Costa del Corozón had been oppressed for years, and while there was much enmity between the Djuujiana and the Zoli, they united together to break themselves free after only three years of German ownership.

The revolution was successful, and La Costa del Corozón renamed itself Libertidad to celebrate its freedom. However, there was a large question concerning government. For many years, the Zoli had been a sort of a democracy, but the Djuujiana had always had a monarchy, in which the ruler would serve for a lifetime, unless the people decided to dethrone him, and before his death would name any person in the entire world his successor. It was a little odd in the eyes of other people, but it worked well for the Djuujiana.

After only one year, they decided that they could not live with the anarchy, and Libertidad split into Djuuji and Zolia. King Talru ruled in Djuuji, and a German man named Magnus Kushrenada was the king of Zolia. However, no one was elected after Magnus' rule, rather, his son Roni Kushrenada took over, and the tradition continued today, until during the reign of Fatima Kushrenada, Zolia became known as Kushrenada, and the Zoli transformed into Kushrenadi. In this way, Zolia succumbed to the traditions that it so despised in Djuuji government.

After Fatima Kushrenada changed the country's name, she realized the change that occurred in Zolia, and wanted to reunite with Djuuji. However, she wanted to keep both countries under Kushrenadi rule, and as a result, Djuuji politely declined. But Djuuji was a land rich in resources that Kushrenada lacked, and she was determined to get the territory. However, Kushrenada and Djuuji were peers as far as military strength went, so they had to turn to allies. Kushrenada joined the Earth Sphere Alliance in hopes that it could get support form the large, powerful countries in it, while Djuuji made alliances of its own with smaller countries with a large sense of freedom that had yet to join the Alliance.

Then yet another force came into play. A strange organization that seemed to be allied with the Alliance started building research bases in various countries... one in each developed country, to be exact. They seemed to do guerilla research, but were more than willing to do political favors such as assassination, disappearances, cover-ups..."

"Fate," said Heero.

"Exactly. They aided both Djuuji and Kushrenada in this battle, although no one knew-or knows today- why.

The war didn't really go anywhere until Fatima's son, Janus Kushrenada, ascended to the throne. He then had what he considered a brilliant idea- He wanted to use the space colonies against Djuuji. Naturally, the colonies refused. They had been watching the war closely, and having been subjects of oppression themselves, sympathized with Djuuji, although they decided to maintain a neutral position in the conflict. Janus complained to his buddies in the Alliance, and they decided to help him force the colonies into helping him. As a protest, the extremely influential Cinq Kingdom pulled out of the Alliance, causing more enmity among the countries.

The ruler of the Cinq Kingdom wasn't the only one opposed to the actions, however. Janus' son, Treize, was heavily against the actions of his father and the Alliance. He then created a secret organization called OZ with the intent of dissolving the Alliance. With the help of his three top officers, Milliard Peacecraft, the young abdicator of the Cinq throne, Lady Une, the former heir to the rule of colony L-5, and Lucrezia Noin, the illegitimate daughter of a Kushrenadi senator and a Djuuji ambassador, he quietly coaxed several other nations and organizations to join him behind the unaware backs of the Alliance members."

"How do you know all this?" Heero asked.

"Because Treize and his subordinates came to me and invited me to join. He came to me personally and asked me to join OZ and bring all of Djuuji with me. He really wanted it; he offered everything he had, even himself."

"What do you mean?" Heero asked.

"...Never mind... Fate has kept you from knowing that also, apparently. But that isn't important right now. Just remember that if you hear that Treize sleeps with all the national leaders, it isn't true. Just the important ones," Delphiniel said with a wicked-looking smile that puzzled Heero.

"...All right."

"Anyway... oh, Heero, you got me off track. I'll get back to Treize's invitation in a minute. While Kushrenada and Djuuji were warring and OZ was plotting behind their backs, I was living with my family in Oaschaal. My father was a Kushrenadi senator, and I lived a rich life full of politics. One day, my friend Lucrezia, who I mentioned earlier, told me about a friend of her father's. This was when I was about twelve or thirteen. Can you guess who he was?"

"Janus Kushrenada?"

"Well, no, it was actually Professor I. I was fascinated by Lucrezia's description of him, like a jolly Santa Clause who supposedly delivered people their futures. I knew that I had no future in Kushrenada. Even at that young age, I wasn't blind to the sheer malice of Janus' actions against Djuuji.

So I went to the Fate building- the very same one that you probably live in- and asked to speak with Professor I.

Although he was strongly anti-Djuujiana, he was also against Janus' actions. While he hated Djuuji due to the murder of his parents by a Djuujiana during his childhood, he still only wanted peace with them. I remember him saying something like 'Why can't we just leave the stupid bastards alone? I know I don't want to have to live in the same country as them if we win this war'.

He wasn't a very nice person. But to help end the war, he promised to put me in the Kushrenadi senate, where I would have influence over the battles. He educated me on politics day in and day out while my parents thought I was taking piano lessons. Soon, when I was only about your age, I started speaking in public, and speaking before the Senate, advising them and the rest of the world.

However, the more I learned about the war, the more strongly I became against it. I spoke out against it and gave demonstrations before the Kushrenada Senate building. Finally, the king of the Cinq Kingdom even asked me to help him give a speech to the World Nation regarding the war.

And then, King Zephyr of Djuuji passed away, naming me his successor. I was very shocked; I had never even met the man, but all of Djuuji cheered when he proclaimed me as his heir. I had the opportunity to decline... but I couldn't. This was way more power than I could have as a Senator, and a chance for me to finally make a difference.

Professor I was furious. He completely disowned me, and hasn't spoken to me since. I can understand his feeling of betrayal... but I had to but the world before him."

"And this is why he sent me to kill you?" the assassin asked.

Delphiniel sighed. "No. If he was capable of bringing himself to kill me without a reason, he would have done it long ago. The only reason he did it now is because Janus probably hired him to. Professor I _never_ turns down a client. Maybe he just wanted to get it over with once and for all.

Anyway, he was so enraged that he started sowing discord in the Alliance... and all towards me. He sent assassins in Djuuji uniforms to kill delegates of all countries; even those not affiliated with Kushrenada. Of course, that only made things worse. The final crushing blow was when Prime Minister Talazid of the Cinq Kingdom was assassinated during a quiet vacation in Ründara. Now, I have no allies save the colonies, who don't even have any weapons. And soon Fate will take them away form me too.

I don't want to fight this war. But I don't have a choice. This country chose me to lead it, and I can't give it up... are you quite all right?" she asked, noting Heero's dizzy expression.

"I... I don't know. The world's spinning so quickly!" he said. He saw Delphiniel try to say something as she stood up, but she fell onto the floor seconds later. The colors of everything in the room seemed to melt together, transforming the palace into an oil painting. Delphiniel- or at least a smudge of color that resembled her- crawled over to him. She seemed to embrace him, although neither of them could feel it.

"Heero," she said, her words seeming to drag out for an eternity. "It's happening..."

And then they both succumbed to the invading darkness.

~

Heero woke up in a room with bright white walls and lights that hurt his eyes. Several people in white uniforms scurried around him, and then one noticed that he was awake.

"Hey!" she yelled loudly to someone Heero couldn't see. "The boy's awake!" She then turned to him, and said in a sweeter voice "How are you feeling?"

"I... I don't know. Where's Delphiniel?" he asked.

The woman didn't reply for a moment. "Dr. Baoloa is here to see you." A tall man in a similar white robe appeared within Heero's line of vision.

"How do you feel, son?" he asked.

"Where is Delphiniel?" Heero repeated. "What happened to us?"

"Heero, you're an assassin from Kushrenada, aren't you?"

"What? How-"

The doctor closed his eyes and shook his head as if what he was saying pained him. "Her Majesty told us you were an ally, and that we were not to harm you. She ordered us to treat you as if you were Djuujiana. But we found the gun in the room, and we found the dead guard. But she days you were brainwashed, and I can't go against her."

"Where is Delphiniel?" the patient asked one more time.

"The tea was poisoned, Heero. Her Majesty is dead," Dr. Baoloa said.

"What?" Heero exclaimed. "What do you me- oh. Oh. Oh," he kept repeating. He looked up after a minute and asked "What happened to Djuuji's throne?"

Dr. Baoloa wordlessly handed Heero a newspaper. He was apparently disgusted by the headlines

"QUEEN DELPHINIEL DIES, NAMES TREIZE KUSHRENADA SUCCESSOR"

"What? Why?" demanded Heero.

"Hell if I know," Dr. Baoloa said. "I don't know anything anymore. I don't think anyone does."

After an awkward moment of silence, the doctor handed Heero an envelope. "Her Majesty wrote this before she- well, she said that you aren't to open it until you leave Fate. She said if you do it before then, disaster may strike. You're free to go."

"...Wait, Doctor!" Heero called.

"What?"

"Delphiniel mentioned a word called... 'love' or something... what does it mean?"

The doctor only said. "No one knows."

Heero walked out. It was softly raining, as if the heavens were mourning. He called a cab over, and went home.

Home.

What was it?   
  


~

That's it for Chapter Six. ZP brought up a couple good points in her reviews. I probably should have mentioned this somewhere near the beginning like a normal person would, but yes, this is an AU fic, in case my reckless butchering of the GW timeline didn't make that apparent already. *cough* Also, I'm not sure how Djuuji _should_ be pronounced, but I say it as "JOO-JEE" with a slight 'D' sound on the first 'J'. Or something. Oh well. More chapters to come, and more explanations to follow (God knows they're needed).

~Merky 


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